France and Colombia reach World Cup quarter-finals

@FIFAWWC/ Twitter

Eugenie Le Sommer netted a brace to lead France to a 4-0 victory over debutants Morocco in their last-16 match at the Women's World Cup, and into the quarter-finals for the third consecutive time.

Kadidiatou Diani's fourth goal of the tournament, a header in the 15th minute, sparked an eight-minute three-goal Les Bleues blitz, with Kenza Dali and Le Sommer also scoring at Hindmarsh Stadium, ending the North African side's fairytale run.

France next face hosts Australia in the quarter-finals on Saturday in Brisbane.

Morocco became the lowest-ranked team (72) to play in the last 16, bouncing back from a 6-0 rout by Germany to beat South Korea and Colombia.

But they were no match for fifth-ranked France who went unbeaten in the group stage, capped by a dramatic 6-3 win over Panama.

Elsewhere, a second-half goal by Catalina Usme fired Colombia to a 1-0 win over Jamaica and carried the South Americans to their first Women's World Cup quarter-final.

The captain's 51st-minute strike sent Colombian fans into delirium at a packed Melbourne Rectangular Stadium and ensured the last American team in the tournament will battle England for a place in the last four.

"We are representing the whole continent of South America," Colombia coach Nelson Abadia told reporters.

"This (result) has a very special meaning. When we qualified for the World Cup the first thing I said to my team was, 'We’re not just here to spend time, we want to make history'."

More from Sports News

  • Liverpool hold on to beat Everton 2-1 in Merseyside derby

    Liverpool held off a spirited Everton fightback to claim a 2-1 Premier League victory in a tense Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday, preserving their perfect start to the season and moving further ahead atop the table after five games.

  • Baku to stay on F1 calendar until 2030

    Azerbaijan will stay on the Formula One calendar until at least 2030 after the sport announced a four-year contract extension on Saturday.

  • Alcaraz dazzles as Team Europe take 3-1 lead in Laver Cup

    Defending champions Team Europe stormed out of the gates on the opening day of the Laver Cup in San Francisco on Friday, winning three of four matches to take a handy lead over Team World with Carlos Alcaraz sparkling in doubles action.

  • Amorim remains defiant over Man Utd tactics

    Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim said not even the pope could make him deviate from playing with a back three despite mounting pressure following a dismal run, adding that abandoning his preferred formation would undermine him in his players' eyes.

Blogs